I-123 MIBG scintigraphy in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: Where next?

Conclusion  The study of Parthenakis et al4 represents a step toward further documenting the relationship between myocardial blood flow, left ventricular wall motion, and presynaptic sympathetic neuronal function in the disease process of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. However, more questions remain to be answered. With a large future increase predicted in the number of patients developing congestive heart failure, perhaps it is time for carefully planned imaging studies to be incorporated into new clinical trials of medical therapies for heart failure. These may provide further important information concerning the utility of quantitative MIBG imaging in assessing pathophysiology, approaches to medical therapy, and prediction of prognosis in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.